Self-reversing magnetic switch



SELF-REVERSING MAGNETIC SWITCH Filed Sept. 25, 1940 hawk/1'0 INVENTOR w mywfea. v

WITNESS ATTORNEYS UNITED {S Patented Feb. 3, 1942 Freland M. Houston, Tex. H Application September 23,1940, Serial No. 357,971 'lclaims. (Cl. 200-47) Q w invention relates to improvements in mag-.

:;netic switches. t r I Ari object ofthe invention is toprovide a magnetic switch operated by a push button in a low voltage circuit, 'and in which the armature oi the magnetoperates a liquidcontact circuit clo-' sure for closing a high voltage circuit'and'the same held in closed. position until the button is again pushed when the circuit will be opened.

Another object of the inventionisto provide a switch ofv this character in which the liquid 1 contact circuit closure is held in its open and .closed position by spring .means, v.said spring opened. l

v, A furtherobj ect'oi the invention is to provide a switch of this character. in which the parts can be assembled in a casing in compact repairs or :re'placement. The-bottom of the housing is provided with a support, adapted to support the magnets I and I. The bottom of the housing is-also provided withears land-imbetween which is pivoted the tongue I I they armature l1. -'Ihisarmature, as shown, is oi abroad form to extend across the ends of the magnets 1 andl normally spring held in ther'position shown in Figure 2 oi the drawing. The magnets l'andl' are arranged in a-low voltage circuit which comprises the wires i3 and, connected form, so that access may be readily had to all M .of the parts for replacement and repair. At the port In the accompanying drawing:

showing the cover plate for the housing removed;

: qsame'time, means is provided for readily attach- 3 ingor detaching the housing to the desired sup- A. still iurther object of the invention is to 1 .provide a simple and efiectiveswitch of this character which can be cheaply manuiacturedand I -assembledwith certain details oi structure and operation hereinaitermore fully set .forth.

F'ig'. 2 is'a longitudinal sectional view, taken on the line 2-'! of Fig. l

Fig, 3 is a transverse sectional view, taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1:

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3, showing the switch operating mechanism in an open position;

Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view, taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction oi the arrow;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the armature,

showing the attachment of the switch operating arm thereto.

Referring now to the drawing, 1 represents a housing, which, as shown, is of rectangular form, with its rear edge 2 provided with laterally extending apertured ears 3 and l, by means of which the same may be attached to a support. The upper end of the housing is closed by a removable cover 5, whereby access may be readily had to the housing; and, as shown in Figure 1 to the binding posts" and It, having wires l1 V and" connected thereto. 2 I means closing -a circuit for a signal in the low ,voltagej circuit to indicate. the switch closed and to break the circuit whenthe switch is The armature l2 has riveted thereto, bymeans of rivets IS, the switch operating-arm lll,which extends between the magnets, as fully shown in Figures 1 and 2 of the drawing, a considerable distance beyond the rear ends thereof. The bot- -tomof the housing, in. rear of. the magnets, is

provided with a partition-2|, having abracket 22 on one wall thereof, and forms a bearing. for the oscillating shaft fas fully shown in Figure 2 oi the drawing. This partition 2i also serves to separate the high voltage. circuit components from the low voltage'circuit and thus remove any-possibility oi interconnection between the two'circuits. The shaft 23 carries at itsouterend a mercury tube II, in which is arranged a body of mercury 25, as shown in-Fig- 'ure 5 01' the drawing. Extending within one endoi the mercury tube are the spaced terminals 28 and I'L'which are connected tothe wires 2' and 29, leading to the plug 30 of the high voltage circuit. The opposite end of the oscillating shaft It has rigidly connected thereto the cam member II. The cam member 3| is of wedge shape with slanting walls 32 and 33, terminating in upwardly curved lugs 84 and 35. The lower end of the cam is of circular tom, and provided with curved depressions 38 and 31. The depression 31 is of greater depth than the depression 38. Carried by the bottom of the housing is a standard 39 provided with a horizontally arranged arm Ill. Above the arm .0, the standard carries a second horizontal spring arm ll, which has its outer end curved, as indicated at 42, adapted to enter the depressions l6 and 31, whereby the camis of the drawing, all of the parts are accessible for held in its two positions. The arms 40 and 4| are provided with contact points 43 and 44. Connected to the arms ll and 40 are the wires 45 and ll leading to the pilot light 41, whereby the contact points are brought together to complete the circuit when the curved portion of the arm ll is in the shallow depression 36.

The push button 48 is in circuit with the wire l1 and the wire ll, leading to the pilot light 41. The pilot light is connected by means of a wire ll to the post 50, which hasits lead wire connected thereto. This wire 5| leads to the end of the spring arm 4|. The end of the armature arm III is rounded, as indicated at 52 and extends above the cam 3|, as shown in Figures 3 and 4 or the drawing. In the downward movement or the arm III the rounded end 52 engages the slanting walls 32 and 13 of the cam II, and travels downwardly until it engages the lugs I4 and I! and rocks the cam so as to oscillate the shaft 23 for moving the mercury tube 24.

In operation, it will be seen that, upon the pressing of the button ll, the circuit to the magnets will be closed and the armature rocked to bring the arm 20 down against the cam, rocking the cm, which in turn tilts the mercury tube for opening the circuit, as shown in Figure 5 of the drawing. When the push button is released, the spring causes the armature to resume its normsl position shown in Figure 2 or the drawing. Pushing the button again causes the arm 20 to engage the cam and rock it in the position shown in Figure 8 of the drawing, thus tilting the mercury tube so that the mercury therein will contact the terminals 20 and 21, completing the circuit in the high voltage line. When in this position, the contact points 43 and 4'4 are in engagement for completing the circuit to the pilot light ll. Again pushing the button, the cam is rocked in the opposite direction and the mercury tube is tilted so that the mercury therein flows to the opposite and away from the terminals 26 and 21, and the circuit in the high voltage line is broken.

What is claimed is:

1. An electric switch, comprising a magnet, a

circuit for the magnet, an armature operated by.

the magnet, an oscillating cam operated by the armature, a circuit closure operated by the shaft of the cam, and a combined spring detent and circuit contact engaging the cam and holding it in its two adjusted positions.

2. An electric switch, comprising a magnet, a circuit ior the magnet, a spring held armature operated by the magnet, an oscillating cam op- Grated by the armature, a liquid container circuit closure carried by the shaft of the cam, and a combined spring detent and circuit contact engaging the lower end of the cam and holding it in its two adjusted positions.

3. An electric switch, comprising a magnet, a circuit for the magnet, a spring held armature operated by the magnet, an oscillating cam having a V-shaped upper end engaged by the armsture for rocking the same in two directions, a circuit closure operated by the shaft or the cam. and a combined spring detent and circuit contact engaging the lower end or the cam and holding it in its two adjusted positions.

4. An electric switch, comprising a magnet, a circuit for the magnet, an armature operated by the magnet, an arm carried by the armature, a v-shaped oscillating cam having notches and adapted to be engaged and rocked by said arm, a circuit closure carried by the shaft of the cam, and a combined spring detent and circuit contact engaging the lower end of the cam and adapted to enter said notches for holding the cam in its two adjusted positions.

5. An electric switch, comprising a magnet, a circuit for the magnet, an armature operated by the magnet, an arm carried by the armature, an oscillating V-shaped cam having recesses in the lower edge thereof and positioned below the free end of the arm and adapted to be operated by the downward movement 01' the arm, a circuit closure operated by the shaft or the cam, and a combined spring detent and circuit contact adapted to enter said recesses for holding the same in its two adjusted positions.

6. An electric switch, comprising two spaced magnets, a circuit for said magnets, a pivoted armature operated by the magnets, an arm carried by the armature and extending between the magnets, an oscillating V-shaped cam having recesses in the lower edge thereof and positioned below the free end of the arm and adapted to be operated by the downward movement of the arm, a circuit closure operated by the shaft 0! the cam, and a spring detent and circuit contact adapted to enter said recesses for holding the cam in its two adjusted positions.

7. An electric switch, comprising two spaced magnets, a circuit for said magnets, a pivoted armature operated by the magnets, an arm carried by the armature and extending between the magnets, an oscillating V-shaped cam having a segmental lower end with spaced depressions and adapted to be operated by the engagement of the arm in its downward movement, a circuit closure operated by the shaft or the cam, and a combined spring detent and circuit contact adapted to enter the depressions in the lower edge of the cam for holding the same in its two adjusted positions.

FRELAND M. MURPHY. 

